Figure A - Most frequently detected browser based file sharing apps

File sharing applications are often free or at least cheap, simple to use and very often difficult for an IT department to trace.  This presents a major problem for the enterprise as highlighted in a recent study by Palo Alto Networks which showed that of the 1,636 enterprises surveyed, a staggering 92% of companies had an average of 13 different browser based file sharing applications in use within their network.

With recent announcements such as the DropBox security loophole and the MegaUpload service being taken down, the net is closing in on file sharing applications and services, and rightly so.  Pretty much all businesses need to share files with colleagues, customers and trading partners, but at what cost? Recent studies by the Ponemon Institute found that the average data breach costs UK firms £1.9m prompting the question, “what would be the impact of a data breach on your company”?

Over burdened IT departments throughout the UK are faced with the challenge of enabling their users to carry out day to day tasks, whilst ensuring that their activities don’t compromise the very future of the business they work for.  With legislation surrounding data breaches putting increasing pressure on IT departments and data controllers, the implementation of a secure, managed file transfer solution has never had a higher priority.

When it comes to providing users with a simple, secure file transfer solution, we can help.  Pro2col represents a number of managed file transfer vendors here in the UK and has 10 years experience in finding the right solution for businesses.  Whether its providing cross platform applications for Windows, Mac, Linux or Unix, mobile application integration for iPhone, Android, Blackberry or the iPad or email integration with Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes, we have the solution to fit.

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This month the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office has served a Monetary Penalty Notice of £130,000 to Powys County Council, after the details of a child protection case were sent to the wrong recipient. The penalty is the highest that the ICO has served since it received the power in April 2010. The severity of the penalty reflects the fact that the local authority had already received a warning from the ICO to tighten up its security measures following a similar breach.

Over the past 18 months Pro2col has worked closely with a number of County Councils looking to implement a simple way of securing ad-hoc, person to person file transfers.  Additionally, with County Councils looking to centralise or share the cost of services (Shared Services), Ipswitch’s MOVEit DMZ with the Ad Hoc module has proved a very popular choice, especially considering the cost of the Enterprise licence in comparison to other vendors. Read the rest of this entry »

This morning I was asked if I recommended using transport encryption or file encryption to protect company files and data.

My answer: “Use both of them, together!”

For starters, here’s a real quick summary of both encryption types:

Transport encryption (“data-in-transit”) protects the file as it travels over protocols such as FTPS (SSL), SFTP (SSH) and HTTPS. Leading solutions use encryption strengths up to 256-bit.

File encryption (“data-at-rest”) encrypts an individual file so that if it ever ended up in someone else’s possession, they couldn’t open it or see the contents. PGP is commonly used to encrypt files. Read the rest of this entry »

“My company still relies heavily on FTP.  I know we should be using something more secure, but I don’t know where to begin.”

Sound familiar?

The easy answer is that you should migrate away from antiquated FTP software because it could be putting your company’s data at risk – Unsecured data is obviously an enormous liability.  Not only does FTP pose a real security threat, but it also lacks many of the management and enforcement capabilities that modern Managed File Transfer solutions offer. Read the rest of this entry »

We hear it in the news week in week out.  So and so company has left a laptop on a train containing 4 million unencrypted customer records, a hacker has infiltrated an online payment system stealing thousands of unsuspecting UK consumer credit card details – even today I have walked through the door and the first news alert in my email begins, “ChoicePoint to pay $275,000 for second data breach.” I can’t help but wonder why?

Recently, I’ve begun research into the current state of data security in the UK. As part of my research I contacted the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) and asked them to provide me with figures detailing reported breaches in the UK over the last few years.  According to ICO figures, 2008 saw the loss of sensitive data on 341 separate occasions, spanning all industry sectors.  So far this year, we as a nation have seen 348 instances of compromised data and we still have 2 1/2 months to go!!!  Before I progress any further I must emphasise the use of the word ‘reported’.  According to a study conducted by The Ponemon Institute using a sample of 615 UK based companies, 70% of the companies surveyed experienced a data breach in the last 12 months – a worrying discovery in itself.  Even more surprisingly, nearly 40% of those surveyed failed to publicly announce a breach in their security, as there’s no legal or regulatory requirement to do so because they are a private sector organisation.

Taking into consideration the growing prevalence of digital business systems and processes over the past decade, we all must be aware of the importance of data security in our digitally dominated world.  Especially in light of the abundance of publicity surrounding data breaches – surely it must weigh on the minds of CIO and IT personnel?  So if we are all so acutely aware of the risk, why do some companies not take the precautionary measures required to secure the data they hold or transmit?  I can only make assumptions regarding the factors involved and I would speculate its the cumulative result of a number of factors.

Firstly, the big stumbling block – finance.  From experience, I know there are companies out there that struggle securing the necessary funds from their annual budget to address data security as its often deemed non-critical, especially in the current economic climate.  With the inhibitive cost of some of the security solutions out there, I can’t really blame them.  On the other hand, there are lots of providers emerging in the marketplace offering affordable, scalable solutions, that provide not only the data security they need but also the ability to streamline business processes and reduce operational costs.  Solutions such as this, can provide a significant return on investment and in the long term actually save money – a win-win situation!

The financial consequences of a data breach should also be taken into consideration.  According to a study coordinated by The Ponemon Institute back in 2008, the average cost of a UK data breach incident is £1.73 million – substantially more than the cost of securing the data in the first place!  Then you have to take into consideration the financial implications of a blow to a companies reputation – these intangible costs are likely to be well in excess of any fines.

Secondly, I feel the lack of legislation has a big part to play in the predicament organisations find themselves facing.  Apart from a select few e.g. PCI DSS, the only legal guidelines UK businesses are currently required to abide by, are those outlined in the Data Protection Act.  The problem is, up until very recently the majority of this act has been unenforceable (more to come on that later).  I can’t help but feel this lack of legislation and an authority body promotes a certain amount of apathy in organisations.  If all of these companies in the public eye are receiving minimal fines and a slap on the wrist for contravening Data Protection laws, what is the motivation to spend money on securing data?  Consequently, many organisations opt to sit on an unexploded time bomb and when it finally blows (which it inevitably will)  hold their breath and hope no one gets wind of the incident during the aftermath and leaks the news to valued customers.

The recently appointed UK Information Commissioner, Christopher Graham, has addressed this very issue during his first speech at the Annual Privacy and Data Conference in London on 8th October.  The crux of his speech is that change is afoot.  Mr Graham made it perfectly clear that data privacy and information security are now ‘top of the agenda’ and with the new powers of enforcement being granted to the ICO in the forthcoming Coroners and Justice Bill, he fully intends to use them to maximum effect.  He added: “we’re going to have the resources to go after the bad boys – there’s a well-funded regulator that will hit you hard if you get it wrong… if you don’t take this stuff seriously its going to bite you in the bum.”  He also stated, “If you breach the law you’re going to be in trouble.  It (compliance with data privacy law) isn’t a nice to have – it’s the law of the land.  You will destroy brand value and reputation (by ignoring it).”  Some strong words!

Finally, although aware of the viable threat of data breaches, from our experience as security specialists we have dealt with a number of companies who believe their data is completely secure when in reality – it isn’t.  Therefore a lack of insight and knowledge when addressing company wide data security systems can result in inadequate protection.  This is where the value of a security specialist comes into play.  We can’t be masters of all trades, sometimes its beneficial in the long run to let the experts work their magic as data security can be a minefield, its best left to the professionals.

Taking into consideration the consequences associated with the loss of sensitive data, such as the tangible cost to the company and more significantly a serious blow to reputation, is it really worth risking the security of your company’s data to save money in the short term?

See here to find out more about some of the secure file transfer products available in the marketplace.